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Many of the best annuals are part of a series

Pretty Much Picasso, a new petunia this year.

Photograph by: Handout
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What you will notice when you start to shop for your summer colour plants is that many of the most popular kinds are part of a series — a collection of cultivars grouped under one label.

Cultivars of Million Bells (Calibrachoa), for instance, can be found in a winning series with fruit names, such as ‘Wineberry (red), ‘Blueberry’, and ‘Watermelon’. Top cultivars of this plant, which also go by the name “superbells,” are found in the Dreamside series.

Tried and True is a favourite brand as is the ‘Proven Winners’ line. You can find both these reliable brands on sale everywhere.

Petunias are always a big seller, especially the Supertunia and Surfinia series.

Catching a lot of interest this spring is a new Supertunia called ‘Pretty Much Picasso’, which has pink flowers with a lime-green edge.

Verbena can be found in the Superbena or Turkaba series. Various shades of diascia are part of the ‘Flying Colours’ and ‘Flirtation’ series. And there’s a ‘Sweet Sunshine’ series of petunias with names like Compact Lime, Hot Pink and Dark Violet.

Lobelia is always a big seller and there are so many great blues to choose from, including Sapphire, Crystal Palace. Dark Blue Angel, Azure Angel and Riveria Splash.

I’m a sucker for diascia and nemesia, two plants that seem to bloom non-stop all summer. I also love Swan river daisies, bacopa and double Rockapulco impatiens, all very reliable performers.

Pelargoniums will never go out of style. I know people who love to pop a row of reds in terra cotta pots because they look so simple and elegant. ‘

The Easter Bonnet series of sweet alyssum is pretty much foolproof, as are arrays of marigolds, notably Hero Spry, Bonanza Gold, Safari, Durango Red and ‘Durango Gold.’